Only You
by iDraekios
Summary: "No matter where you are, or how long it takes, I will find you." In a world where science has become synonymous with magic, and children begin to display supernatural capabilities, those words may very well alter humanity's fate once again.
1. The Day Before

_**The end is where we begin**_

 _ **Where broken hearts mend**_

 _ **And start to beat again…**_

 **The stories** we were told growing up were ones that had always seemed far too strange to be true. Legends of heroes and the power of love itself. How the fate of humanity had been altered so dramatically by nothing more than the love two people held for one another. As time went on, those legends undoubtedly grew more vague, the true story lost to the symbolism of a book printed and reprinted hundreds of thousands of times. The names of those who had lived and died for the world we live in still stand in memorial today, alongside the statue of a mech whose name I can never fully recall, but always feel as though I should be able to do as easily. History has always felt so vague to me, but for some reason this story speaks out as the most profound. Hearing it has always seemed to make me at least a little bit restless, as though I had suddenly realized that I was missing a part of me.

And for the most part, I've come to realize that it's true. There is a part of me missing. Incomplete, as though this rapidly changing world isn't the place I truly belong. As though the piece of me that I've lost is out there, feeling every bit as incomplete as I do right now. It doesn't matter what I've done. Music, art, writing. All three have been unsuccessful ventures to calm that listlessness, especially since the second one is something I'll outright admit I'm horrible at. Writing, it seems, has always been my main escape. Reading as well, though I find that I prefer the writing of stories as opposed to the recitation of them.

It makes me feel as though the life I live now won't be forgotten.

That it won't fade into nothingness like cherry blossoms ripped from trees, left to flutter to the ground below.

There are some things that make me forget about the ache. The lack of calm. I have friends, ones that I feel like I've known for what seems like forever. They're good people, genuinely caring, and above all my favorite group to be around. Some days it feels less like we're less friends and more family. Those "Draw the Squad" images keep cropping up in our lives, and on the odd occasion we're the ones who create them in the first place. But, as my parents have always said: 'Life in this world now is nothing like it was back then.'

When they were growing up, we hadn't discovered half of the things we have now. Science hadn't advanced to the point it was the same as magic. Children weren't born with strange abilities, untold gifts from something that nobody can yet fully understand. My friends and I were like that, as it seemed most kids our age were. Our first year of high school started as an absolute mess, such that it's a hassle just remembering it.

The second year, it seems, had decided to start much the same way.

I still remember the date clearly, down to the very minute she walked into the classroom.

Sakura Tenma. It was… a strange name, but there was a part of me that found it almost fitting. Her hair was the color of cherry blossoms, her eyes of that blue-green mix commonly referred to as cyan. And the looks she got from the class?

You'd have almost sworn the devil himself had stepped from the shadows.

It seemed she had already had something of a reputation among the students, a transfer from another school. They said that it was a common thing, she'd arrive at one school, break a couple rules, and after a time she'd be forced to transfer out. An endless cycle, and it most definitely had to with her powers.

In rare cases, it's said that some children are born with physical markings. Things that serve as telltale signs to their powers and in some cases: warnings. Just by looking at her, you could tell she was one of those unlucky few. Perhaps were it not for the horns growing out from her head, she might've been able to live a normal life like the rest of us. Those horns seemed to shape much of her social interaction, and served as a particularly crucial tell to those who angered her.

However, even with all of that obvious power, she never showcased any of it. Nowadays there were classes to help us control and hone our powers, and something I'd always noticed was that she was alone. "I heard she has to have someone to help her use her powers." That was the rumor that spread like wildfire through the school.

"A power that requires a partner? Don't be ridiculous," Ikuno said, pushing her glasses further back up the bridge of her nose as she stared at me across the table. She had a book in her hands as usual, and her calm demeanor spread easily to even the gaze she was giving me at this moment. She stared at me with green eyes, her purple hair in its usual style as she held the look for a moment longer before directing her gaze to the the source of the next response.

"It's not entirely impossible," Goro responded from a spot to my right, a fork in his right hand as he looked over at Ikuno through his own set of glasses. His blond hair hadn't changed in style in the least, even though we were almost adults now. There was only one person between us, and I smiled in silent thanks to him. "After all, the government has outright admitted that they have no idea how many powers actually exist."

"Yeah, but," another one of us started. It was Futoshi, evidenced by the sudden stop in the disappearance of the mountain of food he'd brought to the table. He was the... largest of us, to put it as politely as possible. It was, as usual, hard to see him through all the food. "That doesn't mean that it IS possible either." Immediately after, the sound of food being shoveled resumed, and I lowered my gaze. There was a point there. A power that required the help of another person had been unheard of, so the idea that Sakura had a power like that…

"Hiro." The voice of the girl directly to my right pulled me from my thoughts. I turned to look over at her, catching her sharp, green-eyed gaze as she inspected me for a moment. Her hair was falling into her face on one side, and I blinked as I leaned back slightly. "Why do I get the feeling you're on the verge of doing something incredibly stupid?" Her words were like knives, and it was made somewhat more impactful by the fact she may as well have been one of the people here closest to me. Her and Goro, at least. It had been the three of us at first, and that bond still held despite how big our group was now.

"Ichigo, please have some faith in me," I pleaded, a defeated tone in my voice as I closed my eyes and bowed my head slightly towards her. She sighed, and I raised my head again to look up at her. She smiled, rolled her eyes, and resumed eating as yet another voice chimed in on a slightly different topic.

"Hey, hey! You guys ready for the Exam tomorrow?" It was Zorome, his purple eyes holding an excited gleam as the brown mop on his head responded in turn to his excited motions. Were it any other kind of test he'd have been calling in sick, however the Exam- more properly known as the Aptitude Performance Exam- was a bit different. It was a new bit added to the curriculum to assess the development of powers in those populations who widely displayed them. We'd been taking it for several years now, but it seemed Zorome was unusually excited for this one.

"What's up with you? Finally find a way to use your power to make yourself taller?" It was, of course, Miku who chimed in with the witty retort as she aimed a mischievous sneer at Zorome from the complete opposite corner of the table. She seemed to be the one who had changed the most out of us as we grew, her hair now let down from the twintails it had been in for years as she leered at Zorome with a set of blue eyes. He glared back at her, and the pair of them near instantly launched into the same argument and banter that they'd repeated time and time again for the last few years.

At this point we'd just deduced that they enjoyed arguing with each other, and that it wouldn't end until one of them finally just shut up and confessed. But it'd been several years now, we were quickly nearing adulthood, and it hadn't changed at all. Hope was definitely fading for the pair of them, at least when it came to preserving the sanity of everyone on the outside.

Besides them, there were a couple of people at the table who had opted out of the conversation. Mitsuru and Kokoro, specifically. The former had his hair slicked back, and was trying his best to look pompous as he sat beside Ikuno. The latter, meanwhile, was seated across from Futoshi with her usual calm and happy expression on her face as she ate even with the human equivalent of a black hole sitting so close to her. Once upon a time, I was worried Futoshi was just going to eat all of us at some point.

I sighed, looking over my left shoulder absently just in time to catch the sight of pink hair turning around a corner and disappearing. I sat up straight in response, catching Ichigo's attention alongside much of the rest of the group. Even Futoshi stopped inhaling his food mid-way through bringing a roll of bread to his mouth.

"Hiro? What's wrong?" Ichigo asked, a worried noted in her tone as I stared at that spot for a few moments longer. I shook my head slowly, turning my gaze back to the tray in front of me.

"It's nothing, I just thought I saw something is all."

* * *

It happened three more times that fateful day. My catching sight of cherry blossom hair moments before it simply vanished into thin air. Two times I moved to chase after it, only to find myself staring at empty space. Forced to conclude that my eyes and mind were playing tricks on me, I sat in class staring out of the window for a long time. Sakura hadn't come back from lunch, which had of course been the catalyst for a new string of rumors to begin spreading. I paid them no heed as I watched out of the window.

My gaze narrowed slightly as pink winked in my vision, hiding in the silhouette of one of the buildings near the track. I fixed my gaze upon the spot, watching for a moment before that red-horned girl turned to look over around the corner.

Some would say I was imagining things. That I'd been caught in the craze that it seemed half of the other men in my class had been caught by, but I could've sworn by the chill that ran down my spine that she was staring right back at me. I continued watching for a moment, glancing up once to make sure I wasn't completely lost on the lesson at hand before turning my gaze back to that spot.

She was gone.

I couldn't keep the disappointment I felt in that moment from showing, and I sighed before forcing my attention back to the front of the room.

That said, such an act was far easier said than done. I spun my pencil around in my hand, a habit and skill I'd picked up after too much practice and free time. The air felt like it was buzzing softly, and the reason was all too clear. Tomorrow was the day of the Exam. Tomorrow would be the day we'd all have the chance to prove ourselves again, identify ourselves as higher ranking members of the class. The top ten were always posted on a corkboard in the main lobby of the school. Tomorrow was our chance to dethrone those who had risen above us the year before.

But that wasn't the only reason for the excitement.

The primary one, the elephant in the room nobody dared to mention, involved the mysterious pink-haired devil of a transfer student we'd gotten not too long ago.

The one whose power was rumored to only be able to activate in the presence of someone willing to help her make use of it. Several had tried already. Each one had wound up in the infirmary with signs of severe exhaustion and various other side effects that could only be described properly as "dangerous". The girl was a health hazard to whoever paired up with her. People had been taking guesses at where she'd rank ever since she arrived, so the hype was only natural. So too, then, was her absence.

I suppose it was hard, having all of those eyes on you at once. Gazes expecting something out of you. Gazes sizing you up, deciding if you'd be anywhere close to a match for them in the grand schemes that would undoubtedly erupt later in the year. When the year began to wind down and the school slowly allowed us to flex our powers more and more so as to achieve ever higher scores on our next Exam.

I suppose it was frustrating.

Having all of those people watching your every move.

Knowing that the only thing they were waiting for…

...was to watch you fall.

* * *

 **A/N: I'm baaaaack! Breaking off the hiatus with a brand new fic, from one of my newest favorite animes. If you haven't seen Darling in the Franxx yet- you should. It's great, though as usual the manga is slowly proving to be a bit better. That said, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Reviews are very much appreciated, and I hope to see you all again in the next one!**


	2. 002

_**Attention, Attention**_

 _ **Cause this ain't a stunt.**_

 **Exam day** was upon us, and school that morning was an absolute hell of panic and mayhem. No matter where you looked, there were students frantically running about with slips of paper in hand, with either looks of relief or looks of barely concealed fear on their faces. All around us, people were discussing the events that would unfold. Their hopes for landing in the top ten, and the many who were lamenting their powers and looking down upon any chance they had of reaching that pinnacle.

So too were the odd few discussing Sakura, whose name never seemed far out of the reach of conversation among my peers. Even Ichigo was starting to get tired of the gossip, and had more than once that morning told groups of kids off for being impolite and gossiping about their fellow student behind her back. Almost as a consequence of the gossip, the horned girl never once crossed my vision. I learned why soon after entering class: Her exam had been first thing in the morning, and it was said she wouldn't be done for a while.

Our upperclassmen were, as usual, extremely confident about their chances. Not surprising, considering the school's number one had been among their number for the last four years in a row. A girl with black hair and piercing eyes. She was said to be heterochromatic, and that she covered her left eye. She was also rumored to have physical signs of her own powers, though very few knew if that was particularly true. Speculation was that her left eye was one sign, as were the three triangular marks beneath her right eye- ones that seemed far too metallic to be real, and they were rather obviously not merely on her skin's surface.

We did, of course, catch sight of her early that morning. The students parted like a river around her and the two individuals flanking her. Their names muttered in hushed whispers among us as they passed.

Shizuka Black.

Mina Sanda.

Kayna Misuta.

The three most untouchable students in the school. Known more commonly as Squad Four. They were among the highest ranking students in the school, and their reign in the latter half of the year was almost uncontested. Everyone aspired to be them, join them, or beat them. Judging by the confident stride and expression on each of their faces, they were on their way for their exams. Ichigo, Goro and I watched them pass with faces of slight wonder.

"What do you think it took to get to that level?" Goro asked, his awe evident in his tone. Goro himself had a rather defensive power, one that allowed him to protect his allies from harm. The sub-effect of it was that he seemed to recover from physical wounds rather quickly when his power was used. Ichigo, to my right, shook her head.

"More then we're capable of right now," she muttered. The look in her eyes was unreadable, as though she were setting a goal for herself in that moment. I couldn't blame her. Ichigo had always been ranked pretty high. Last year she'd ranked fifteen on the leaderboards, simply because of how strong her power was. Her ability was classed as Shift type, which is an overarching class of power that deals in manipulating oneself. Her ability, specifically, allowed her to quickly relocate from one spot to another, and the force generated by the act itself had reportedly been what landed her so high. I, meanwhile, simply had the ability to redirect force. It was powerful enough to have me land alongside her, but it always felt as though there was more to it then that.

"Don't think that way," Goro responded, and it took me a moment to realize he was talking to Ichigo. "They were undoubtedly where we are at one point. If we work hard, I have no doubt in my mind that we'll be able to get to their level- if not surpass them entirely." I smiled at that. There he was, the ever-present encouraging voice of reason in the group. Ichigo stared at him for a long moment before nodding, and we turned to continue walking as the sea began to close back behind the members of Squad Four.

As we turned to walk to our class, a spot of pink winked at me at the edges of my vision. I glanced back towards it, but as usual nothing was there. I let out a sigh, slightly annoyed by the game of hide-and-seek that was apparently being played between Sakura and I. Though if she was out and about, that undoubtedly meant she'd finished her Exam… right?

* * *

The Exams were all set to take place in the first part of the day, in varying locations based on one's abilities. The first Exam we ever took had been simply to document what our powers were, but now that we were older the Exams focused more on pushing the limits of what we could do.

According to Ichigo, her's this year was one of the more dangerous ones. It did, as usual, involve using her power to quickly move from place to place. Though from what I heard it was more like an actual combat exercise.

"Maybe they've just started trying to prepare us for the second half of the semester," Mitsuru suggested, his eyes calm as he eyed Ichigo, who was currently nursing a bruise on her right shoulder. She stopped in her actions for a moment and looked up to stare at him for a moment with a look of disapproval.

"If that was the case they could've at least used something softer than rubber to shoot at at me," she retorted. Goro was beside her, in decidedly a slightly worse condition. He was more worn out then anything though, but due to his sub-effect his Exams were a fair deal more hazardous. I guess the organization that administered them figured those with higher recovery rates could withstand a fair degree more punishment than those without.

We were all eating lunch together once again, the cafeteria abuzz with speculations on where everyone would place based on their performances. As usual, those with more utility-based powers were expecting to rank a bit lower, while those who had powers with combat uses expected to be placed higher. That was the simple fact: the more powerful abilities tended to have combat utilizations, some sort of ability that would make them useful for the nation's armies.

Our conversation came to an abrupt halt as a hush fell over the room. One of the faculty members had strode into the room, a piece of paper in her hand as she cast us all a knowing look before turning off to walk towards the main lobby. The moment she turned around the second corner, the cafeteria instantly exploded with new conversations. The results were in, and there was a restlessness among us. At the same time, I caught ear of a conversation that started rather suddenly nearby.

"Did you hear what happened to Kai?" It was a male voice, one I didn't recognize.

"No, what happened?" A girl replied, worry evident in her tone as they walked behind us.

"He was picked to help with that pink-haired girl's Exam. Last I heard he was in pretty bad shape."

Silence, and then.

"Where is she?"

The tone in the voice made me tense up slightly. It was a dangerous tone, full of hurt and anger.

"Last I knew? The music hall. You're not thinking of going after her are you?"

The girl laughed, "Why the hell not? She hurt Kai, and we all know it's not like she'll be a match for me anyway. I ranked in the top five last year."

"Yeah, but-"

"But what, Kenshiro? Don't tell me you're actually trying to defend that witch."

I felt a hand on my shoulder, and looked over to see Ichigo staring intently at me. It was at that point I realized that I had grown incredibly tense. My hands were balled up so tightly that it hurt, and my jaw was clenched tight enough to nearly give me a headache. I forced myself to relax, letting out a long breath. It wasn't like this situation was unusual. Kids got into fights all the were rules and guidelines about proper etiquette when engaging in combat, so it was essentially a school activity.

So long as the fight was fair, at least. A top five going against someone in the bottom one hundred was grounds for expulsion, so it wasn't like you could go after just about anyone. If one of the lowbies went after one of the top students it was a different matter, but you couldn't just go around beating the hell out of everyone.

I heard the girl go storming off, and I instinctually stood. Ichigo grabbed hold of my wrist, looking up at me with pleading eyes. "Don't do it, Hiro." She advised, and I looked down at her for a moment before closing my eyes. Rumors came back to my memory, about how Sakura couldn't use her ability without someone else there for her.

My response was simple.

"What that girl is doing is no different from one us attacking one of the Powerless," I stated simply. "The school isn't going to tolerate it."

"So let her get herself in trouble," she replied. I shook my head. That was generally the best course of action, but after what had been happening recently, the constantly seeing flashes of pink hair in my vision. I couldn't simply stand idly by while this happened.

"There's something I need to confirm anyway, Ichigo," I said, looking back at her. There was a fire of determination in my eyes, and she let out a sigh before letting go of my wrist. I moved immediately to leave, but her voice stopped me.

"If you do _anything_ reckless, I'm going to personally kick your ass, you hear me?"

I smiled, "Yeah. Loud and clear, Ichigo."

The walk to the music room was quick, and I set off nearly immediately. I could feel the rest of their gazes upon me, but that didn't matter. I needed to find her.

* * *

A body flew through the air, landing with a thud against the chalkboard in the large room as Sakura Tenma was thrown against it. She let out a cry, falling against the ground alongside the numerous desks and chairs that had flown with her. Her opponent was a telekinetic, and a powerful one at that. Sakura glared up at the girl, eyes and horns glowing red as she bared her fangs. The girl, who wasn't much taller than she was, had long brown hair and eyes of a deep and consuming cobalt. Sakura didn't know her name, nor did she particularly care. She got back to her feet slowly, body aching and slightly off balance as the other girl approached her.

By the time I got to the music room, the second hit had been dealt. From my perspective, it seemed as though Sakura was being thrown across the room each time she tried getting anywhere near her opponent, and I threw the door open sharply.

"What the hell are you doing?!" I shouted, my eyes wide in shock at the scene. Sakura was laying in a bit of a heap next to one of the walls, blood streaming from a cut on her head as she slowly staggered back to her feet, placing her hand on a desk and leaning on it for support as she glared at the telekinetic.

"Stay the hell out of this, lowbie," the girl shot back at me. I recognized her now, amid the tossed furniture and the force she exuded. Kozumi Rin, ranked number four last year on the leaderboard. She was an elite, a powerful telekinetic known for her ruthlessness in combat. I moved to stand in front of her, shielding Sakura with my body as the pink-haired girl looked at me incredulously.

"Are you stupid, or you just have a death wish as well?" Kozumi sneered. I felt the energy building in the room a moment before she threw it out towards us, throwing both me and Sakura back into the wall side by side. I coughed from the impact, sliding down the wall as Kozumi let out a sigh. "Honestly. You lowbies are all the same. All talk and no substance."

I could sense Sakura trembling beside me, and judging by how brightly her horns were glowing I could tell it was anger. Her horns seemed longer, and I glared at Kozumi. I grit my teeth as the girl strode over to the two of us, a cruel smile on her face as she picked up a desk using her powers and threw it at us.

My face of anger turned into a smile as I raised my hand, the desk connecting with it as I activated my power. Immediately, the force of the desk reversed, sending it flying back to Kozumi as the telekinetic squeaked in shock a moment before her own projectile hit her square in the chest. She fell to the ground, and I heard Sakura let out a laugh beside me.

I looked over to her, catching the gaze she was aiming at me.

"That was pretty funny," she remarked.

"It's what she gets for picking on someone who can't use their power on their own," I said in response, standing up slowly and offering her my hand. "If you want, I'll help you use it."

She smiled, and for a moment I couldn't catch my breath. "Fine with me, though don't bitch if you end up in infirmary," she replied, grabbing my hand and pulling herself up. Immediately, the air in the room shifted. I felt a pull within me, as though she were tugging on my very soul. Beside me, her form changed as a wind kicked up around us. Her skin turned red, horns growing to almost frightening size as she rolled her shoulders back. She tilted her head to the side, bones popping as she stepped forward. It felt like there was a cord forged between us, and I couldn't keep myself from simply watching what happened next.

Kozumi got back to her feet, face flushed with rage, and immediately proceeded to throw what was basically the whole room at us. Sakura extended her arm out, and in the next instant everything stopped in mid air. I felt another tug on my soul, and I gasped at the strength of it. So this was what happened to those people. It felt like she was trying to tear my soul from my body, but strangely it didn't hurt. Nor did it make me feel any weaker.

The items thrown at us dropped to the ground, and she placed a single foot on the other side of them before vanishing. Or at least, it seemed like it. I could sense where she was from the connection between us, and I watched as she rematerialized and sent Kozumi flying into the wall with a kick. The girl coughed in pain as she hit the wall, and I jogged over to the pair of them as Sakura stood over her.

"Not so fun now, is it?" She asked, her tone neutral and cold. Her whole form exuded a power I couldn't fully make sense of. As I approached, she looked back over to me with an expression of slight surprise.

"Well, that's new." She remarked, walking back to me and leaving Kozumi to sit against the wall. It seems the force had knocked the telekinetic out cold. I looked Sakura dead in the eyes as she stopped in front of me, leaning in almost uncomfortably close. When it felt like I was about to fall over, she stood back up straight.

"You're not like the others," she said, "most people are unconscious by this point." Her expression changed, a smirk coming across her features as she stepped towards me. I backpedalled, and she chased me back against the wall. I felt myself land against it, and a moment later she slammed both palms on either side of me, leaning in with that smirk before leaning over my right shoulder.

Something wet ran up my cheek, and I tensed up immediately with a yelp as she laughed and pulled back.

"I may have to keep you around, that taste of yours makes my heart race."

I gulped, my mind coming up with a million different possible implications for what she was talking about. Over half of them were far too graphic for me to dwell on, and the rest weren't exactly fun to dwell on either. Her half-lidded eyes didn't make things much easier either, and a moment later I felt the connection between us sever as she returned to normal. A look passed in her eyes suddenly, and she took a step back before looking at me again. The look in her eyes had changed slightly, almost as if she were seeing me as a different person than I currently was.

"I suppose I should thank you for helping me," she said, and I relaxed a bit before replying.

"It was nothing, really. I just couldn't let her go after you knowing that you wouldn't be able to fight back without a partner."

She smiled, "That almost sounds like you're offering."

I felt my face flush, "I-I mean. I'm not in the infirmary yet, so I suppose I wouldn't mind helping you make use of it."

She looked off towards the door for a moment, closing her eyes with a nod. "That sounds like a good idea." She opened her eyes, taking a step towards the door and opening it for a moment. "In that case, I guess I'll see you around _darling_."

I blinked as she stepped out of the door. My head suddenly hurt all of a sudden, and I couldn't entirely figure out why.

* * *

When I walked out of the room, Sakura had already disappeared, and a crowd was forming in the main lobby. As I entered, I spotted Ichigo and the others as they beckoned me over. The gossip this time was excitable, and I saw more than a few faces that were contorted in looks of either anger or confusion. Pushing through the crowd, I came to the front of the pack face to face with the slip of paper.

On that paper were ten names, but my eyes immediately focused on the one near the top, the one that had so many of those around me in an uproar. As usual, number one was the infamous Queen, Shizuka Black. But written there on the paper…

 **Rank 002: Sakura Tenma**

* * *

 **A/N: Well this got done fast. To be honest, I wasn't entirely sure how I wanted that fight scene to go. There's a lot of parallels to scenes in the anime there, as well as a bit more information about this world. The next chapter may not come out as quickly, but I figured I'd at least give you guys another in the meantime.**

 **Feel free to shoot me some PMs if you wanna know a bit more about the world. Until next time!**


	3. Fractured Memoria

_**I wanna know, wanna know- come and prove it.  
I wanna see, wanna see you lose it.**_

 **In the days** that followed, the tension in the building began to make itself known. With the results of the Exam posted and out throughout the school, it now became a matter of when the current Cease Fire would end to signal yet another Ability Testing Semester. Better known to us students simply as "War". In truth, that may as well have been what it was. My run-in with Kozumi had very quickly spread like wildfire, and her exam results in the mid-twenties only went to further fuel the suspicion that her Exam results last year had made her overconfident. Not only that, but Kozumi had blamed her loss on me, saying that she'd been forced into a two-versus-one fight and that was the reason she had lost.

Unfortunately, at the mere mention of Sakura that excuse became null and void. It was common knowledge now that she couldn't use her power- which she'd soon told me was called ' **Break Point** '- without someone else there to help her. Of course, that also meant she had begun to hang around me far more often, which had stirred some strange reactions out of Ichigo at the sudden body taking the formerly-empty spot to my immediate left at the lunch table. Of course, having the school's Rank Two at our side had its perks.

One of those being that it made other students too afraid to even think about making the first move against us. Granted, as a table consisting of a single-digit and two teens- those being myself and Ichigo- we had almost too much insurance. Not that it was really an issue, it was just something that other students had noticed. With so much power on our side, it seemed likely that the only way we'd come under fire is if multiple groups- also known as 'Squads'- moved against us.

And as per usual, everyone was giving Squad Four a wide berth. More so after the Exam results had once again put the almighty Shizuka Black at the top of the heap, with her compatriots Mina and Kayna taking twenty-four and twelve respectively. Albeit, nobody had any clue how Kayna Misuta managed to consistently score so highly. Though judging by the crowd of screaming, flustered females currently storming out of the girl's locker room, I could wager a fair guess. That and the blue-haired form slumped against the opposing wall with a dumb smile on his face.

"That was totally fuckin' worth it," Kayna said, wiping a stream of blood from under his nose as he staggered to his feet. He was a little taller than I was, and a junior at that. Shaggy dark blue hair, green eyes, and fangs comprised what were probably his most defining features. He caught sight of my stare, and looked over at me with a look of surprise that quickly turned into a sharp-toothed smirk as he sized me up.

"Sixteen, right?"

"Huh?" I responded dumbly, my thoughts jumbled for a moment before I processed what he was talking about. "Oh, yeah. That's me."

His gaze swept over me, and he shoved his hands into the pockets of his blue jeans as he walked over to me. "Gotta say, you don't particularly look all that strong." His tone was pensive, and I replied almost immediately with a tone of neutral disinterest.

"Neither do you." If the Cease Fire wasn't still in place, that would've been stupid to say, but he simply laughed it off.

"Yeah, I guess you've got a point there," He answered, turning his head away and scratching his chin before snapping his gaze back to me. There were slits in his formerly normal eyes, a nearly draconic gaze that made my skin crawl and my stomach churn at the sheer sight of it. I felt like prey being eyed by a predator who hadn't eaten in months. This was one of the rare occasions when I was on my own, Sakura having been tied up in dealing with one of Ichigo's sudden shopping urges. I gulped, the sound loud in my head.

Just as suddenly as they'd changed, Kayna's eyes reverted to normal. That sharp-toothed smirk seeming almost dangerous as he laughed to himself, placing his hand on my shoulder for a moment as he passed me. I watched him go, a sigh of relief leaving my body as he ascended the staircase to the higher floors behind me.

A run-in with Twelve. That didn't bode particularly well for my chances once the Cease Fire ended. He had recognized me as well, which only worried me further. Had the rumors really spread that far, and did Squad Four actually take note of things like that?

I realized after a moment that I really didn't want to know the answer to that.

* * *

"..."

Ichigo was staring at me again, and I did my best to ignore the seething look in her eyes as Sakura dolled up to me. The pink-haired girl had been becoming slowly more affectionate over the last few days, as though she was becoming more comfortable with me by her side. In all brutal honesty, I found that I was more comfortable with her around as well. Something about her made me feel… okay. It stilled that unceasing restlessness in my soul that had persisted for so long, and I found that I was happier with her around.

A new nickname had risen for her as well, one that set my head pounding far harder than her calling me "darling" ever had. It was a pounding that made me feel as though I'd forgotten something incredibly important, images and voices just beyond the scope of my grasp every time I heard those two words. I had wagered- quite accurately as I soon found out- that Kayna had been the one to start with the nickname. His penchant for referring to others by their rank was well-known, so it made sense he'd have started calling her by that name in particular.

Zero Two.

Just remembering it gave me pause, my head sending a lance of pain through my body as my breath caught and a chill raced down my spine. It sounded so familiar, and looking at her I couldn't help but feel as though it sounded _right_ in a way that Sakura never had.

"Darling, say 'Ahh'!" Her voice snapped me out of my thoughts, the name sending that familiar pressure through my skull as I looked over at her. There was a piece of bread in her hands, absolutely drenched in honey as she offered it to me. The smile on her face was so pure, so breathtakingly beautiful.

My heart probably skipped a beat at the sight of it.

"A-Ahh~." I said, stuttering slightly in my shock as I opened my mouth. She giggled, moving the bread into my mouth. I bit down, the taste of honey flooding my senses as she pulled back. I swallowed after a few moments, giving her a smile that faded slightly as she moved towards me.

Her finger swept down the right side of my mouth, coming away with a bit of honey on it as she quickly placed it into her mouth, staring into my eyes with a smirk and a look in those mint voids that brought my thoughts to a screeching halt were they stood.

 _Oh._

I didn't completely know how to react, but the sight of that did things to me that I'm not completely willing to admit at the current moment. My face heated up, and I averted my gaze slightly to the right. Enough that I wasn't caught staring at Sakura, but also not so much that I'd come face to face with the fiery eyes of hell that were burning holes into the back of my head.

Speaking of the woman who'd probably flay me in a few minutes…

"Ahem. Some of us are trying to eat, and it's rather distracting with you two making a show constantly." Her tone was ice, and I winced inwardly as I turned my gaze towards Ichigo, an apologetic look on my face as I apologized. Sakura gave her a similarly disapproving look before turning back to her tray with a slight huff.

I paused as I turned back to my tray, looking back behind me just in time to catch the sight of ice blue hair flitting behind a corner.

It seems my initial assumption had been, unfortunately, correct. It did seem as though Squad Four had taken note of Sakura and I. There was only one person in the school with hair of that shade, one so icy the mere sight of it made one feel cold.

Twenty-four. Mina Sanda.

* * *

It was a strange mirror of how I'd gotten Sakura stuck in my head. Wisps of ice blue appearing at random, the occasional glimpse of dark eyes staring back at me before they vanished in a puff of powder white. Unlike with Sakura, however, it didn't bring me a sense of wonder and intrigue. Instead, all I felt were the dull daggers of dread bringing themselves up my back. Had my new partnership with Sakura really garnered me that much attention?

"Darling. What's wrong?" Sakura asked, looking over to me during one of the many free periods we had. They were usually more exciting, but for already mentioned reasons they were mostly just blank spaces right now. I'd started getting used to the headaches, which seemed to come without warning at times like these.

"Ah, it's nothing. Don't worry about it." I calmly brushed her concerns aside. She didn't need to worry about what was going on in my head right now. In fact, more importantly was…

"Though, there has been something on my mind."

"Hm?" She responded, looking over at my quizzically as she leaned against the desk to my right. I was sitting on mine, one leg kicked up as I rested my arm upon it. I nodded, looking over to her.

"I've noticed you tense slightly when someone calls you by your rank."

Another quizzical stare. "Rank?"

"Y-Y'know." I stammered. "How they call you Zero Two."

I didn't know if I was imagining it, but I could've sworn I saw the most brief expression of pain on her face a moment before my own headache flared up sharply. I cursed in pain, pressing me head against my knee as I closed my eyes.

Next thing I knew, I was staring up at a tree. White surrounded me on all sides as snow fell from the sky. I took a slow step forward, the soft crunch beneath my shoes the only sound as I walked over to the tree. I placed my hand against it slowly, my eyes widening at both the lack of chill… and the fact that when my hand made full contact, I bore witness to my skin slowly turning blue. Not like frostbite, this was like what happened when Sakura's power activated.

I sensed a presence, turning around sharply…

But when I did, the world fell away.

I caught glimpses of places as I fell. Structures towering out from snow. A girl with red skin in a room alone as I broke open her window from a nearby tree. Each image switched to another with an onset of static and splitting pain.

As though something within me were begging to be let free. A caged bird that had finally caught sight of the sky after years trapped by itself.

Suddenly, she was there with me. In a featureless place, with blank white on either side of us.

She was staring at me wide-eyed as I held my head in one hand, clutching at my skull as pain continued to scorch my being.

I heard her call for me.

I heard the worry in her voice.

The notes of urgency that were never there for someone you barely knew.

Darling.

Her Darling.

A girl with red horns and fangs.

And a boy with black hair and blue eyes, who was as unremarkable as they came.

My head was a mess, and when I next opened my eyes I was caught staring into those cyan voids of her own. There was something so beautiful about them in that moment that my breath caught, and I couldn't help but smile at her.

"Darling! Are you… are you alright?" The excitement in her voice faded slightly, and I nodded slowly before my own reply came.

"Yeah, I'm fine… do you… do you mind if I call you that as well, Sakura?"

She looked over at me, "Call me what?"

I hesitated, the pain still fresh in my mind. I took a deep breath before speaking. "Z-Zero Two."

There was a note of silence between us, and she smiled.

"I don't mind. It actually sounds better than my real name when you say it." Her reply hit the nail on the head, speaking the words I myself had been leery of voicing. The name just… fit her. It felt right, even if it was a bit weird. Then again, when one remembered who the name referred to it made even more sense.

The images kept flashing in my mind, too jumbled to properly decode or even make sense of.

Not that I had too much time to particularly think about it past the new flash of ice at the corner of my vision, and the chime of incoming announcements from overhead.

 _ **Attention Students,**_ the announcement began. _**Wartime will begin in fifteen minutes.**_

And just like that, the fragile peace that had lasted was about to be broken.

It was time for the second year to officially begin.

Not with a whimper.

But with a bang.

* * *

 **A/N:** Here I go, slowing down a bit while I actually start planning past this initial bit. Kayna's finally made his official appearance, and our lovely Hiro has a stalker. With the Cease Fire ending so soon, it looks like Squad 13 is in for an emergency meeting.

Thanks to everyone whose been following/favoriting/reviewing this story so far. Helps remind me that I still have something to work on before I actually start, well, working. Sorry about the probable faltering in quality this chapter. Been hella tired as of late. Should be better next go though.

Speaking of which, I hope to see you all then!


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